Central government inspectors blitzed local authorities last year, promoting greater transparency and solving long-standing problems. Zheng Jinran reports from Beijing, with Tian Xuefei in Harbin and Li Yingqing in Kunming.

The New Year saw northern China shrouded in a cloud of thick smog that sent air pollution to hazardous levels and resulted in more than 60 cities imposing joint emergency measures, such as the suspension of manufacturing activity, to reduce emissions of noxious gases.

In addition to short-term emergency measures, the central government last year strengthened supervision of policymakers by introducing environmental inspections conducted by high-level cadres.